


X-Men Return of the Phoenix

by Forumfanboy88, Hikasu



Category: X-Men (Movies), X-Men - All Media Types
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-02
Updated: 2014-09-02
Packaged: 2018-02-15 22:08:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,515
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2245062
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Forumfanboy88/pseuds/Forumfanboy88, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hikasu/pseuds/Hikasu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This story takes place right after The Days of Future Past movie within the X-Men movie universe. Disclaimer I do not own X-Men or its characters.</p>
    </blockquote>





	X-Men Return of the Phoenix

**Author's Note:**

> This story takes place right after The Days of Future Past movie within the X-Men movie universe. Disclaimer I do not own X-Men or its characters.

X-Men  
Return of the Phoenix  
\--  
Wolverine has reset the timeline:  
Wolverine – “Everything…everything has reset. The Professor and the others are alive again, the war between humans and mutants has been stopped, and Magneto wasn’t held accountable for Kennedy’s assassination. None of it ever happened, at least not for the others. But I still remember everything. Every drop of blood, every tear shed, every life lost. Professor Xavier says he remembers too, but from what I’ve asked of the rest of the X-Men, they all think I’m crazy. That’s fine with me, better that they don’t remember.”  
\---  
Jean Grey’s Phoenix powers starts acting up again at the school:  
Jean – “Dammit…oh, please...not now…why now?”  
Student 1 – “Whoa, Jean, are you alright? You’re looking a little flushed there.”  
Jean – “I’m fine, I’m fine! I…uh…look, just leave me alone for a moment, okay? Ugh../ my head is really killing me!”  
Student 1 – “Look, you don’t have to be so abrasive, okay? If you need help-”  
Jean – “I’m…I…I…no, I said I’ll be fine! I just need to rest for a moment!”  
Student 1 – “Jean!” (grabs her shoulder)  
Jean – “Stop! Don’t do that!” (shouts to warn him, but causes a burst of telekinetic energy)  
Student 1 – “Gah!” (Jean pushes him away and hurls him onto the ground with her telepathic powers)  
Jean – “C-Crap…agh…I can’t…I can’t…” (Clutches her head with one hand)  
Student 1 – “What the hell?”  
Jean – “I…I’m sorry! Are you alright? I didn’t mean it! Not really!”  
Student 1 – “Jean, seriously, what’re you doing?”  
Jean (realizing what is happening) – “I’ve got to go.”  
Student 1 – “Wait! Hold on!”  
Jean – “Trust me, we’re both better off parting ways here, buddy!” (her powers flare again, causing disruptions all around her)  
\--  
Meanwhile, the Hellfire Club, regrouped by Mastermind, taking the leadership role from the deceased Sebastian Shaw, and Emma Frost, as co-leader, are responsible for making Jean’s powers act up again:  
Mastermind – “Our plan is going over well so far, Emma”  
Emma – “Yes, I had been expecting more contention, but Jean Grey is not difficult to manipulate.”  
Mastermind – “Only because of her powers being dormant, of course; we need to make sure we set the right perimeters in her brain so that we would have a better time controlling her once she awakens.”  
Emma- “Right, do you think this will work? There won’t be too many bumps in the road?”  
Mastermind – “As I stated before, it is going over quite well. We needn’t worry much. With Phoenix on our side, eliminating the forces that oppose us will be as easy as snapping a twig. Just leave it to her.”  
Emma – “Oh, this is going to be fun!”  
\--  
The students at Xavier’s school start to notice something is wrong with Jean and so do the X-Men:  
Student 2 – “Dude, what happened to you…?”  
Student 1 – “I don’t know, Jean just freaked out on me. She looked like she was in pain or something, but when I tried to help her, she started yelling at me!”  
Student 2 – “Jean? Really?”  
Student 1 – “It was so weird. I could have sworn she pushed me, but I didn’t even see her arm reach out.”  
Student 2 – “I wonder what her deal is. Think she’s having her time of the month?”  
Student 1 – “Dude…please…”  
Student 2 – “Either way, we should probably report this.”  
Student 1 – “Nah…I think Jean would know what to do if she has a problem…it was my fault for trying to bug her…”  
Student 2 – “Right, right.”  
Student 1 – “Although…”  
Student 2 – “What?”  
Student 1 – “When she was running away, I could have sworn, it felt less like a physical push, and more of a push on my brain, if that makes any sense?”  
Student 2 – “I think you should stop watching all of those weird movies every night and get some sleep.”  
Student 1 – “Tch.”  
\--  
The Hellfire Club begin planning to manipulate Jean to become the Phoenix again and have her attack the mansion:  
Emma (floats down to approach Jean, who is giving off so much powerful telekinetic energy that it took a large amount of effort on Emma’s part to keep herself from being blown away, possibly torn to shreds) – “Jean…can you hear me?”  
Jean – “Y…You…”  
Emma – “Do you need help, Jean?”  
Jean – “I’d prefer…it’d be anyone else but you, honestly,”  
Emma – “I can help you with your powers, Jean. They don’t have to torment you like this. You can control them.”  
Jean (winces) – “W-What’re you even talking about…? Get out of here! Get away, you bitch!” (Shouts, blasts Emma with a powerful kinetic shockwave, knocking her into a pile of rubble, but the woman pulls herself out, acting completely indifferent to the bruises and dirt all over her body and the tears on her outfit)  
Emma – “Jean, don’t be a fool.”  
Jean – “Why haven’t you left…? I swear, if you even try to do something to me, or even try to come a step closer…!” (her powers cause the rubble around her to start to levitate)  
Emma – “I only want to help you, Jean! Now come on…don’t you think you should stop this? Your powers are incredible, Jean, far greater than most mutants, and you should be using them properly!”  
Jean – “Properly? And I said, don’t come closer!”  
Emma – “Xavier and the X-Men, if they really did want to do what was best for you, then you would have been able to use and master your psychic powers long, long ago, but instead they chose to keep them from you and prevent you from unleashing your full potential, but I, and my friends, can help you.”  
Jean (angry now) – “What the hell are you-”  
Emma – “Mastermind, do it now.”  
Jean – “Mastermind?” (Suddenly, her powers erupt to their fullest, and she screams as the telekinetic flames of the ‘phoenix’ engulf her body, and she begins to transform into the Phoenix.)  
Emma – “You never even knew you were actually being manipulated for quite a while, Jean Gray. But now we’re going to let you go free…that is, if you can repay us by doing one little thing. And don’t try to fight back, my telepathy isn’t as strong as yours, but with a little help on my side, I can still use it to drag you down like any worthless dog.”  
Jean – “…”  
Emma – “So…you DO have telepathy…you should know what you have to do.”  
(Jean flies off to attack the mansion, and after a few minutes had passed, Emma follows after her, her plan already set into motion. Jean attacks the mansion and the X-Men attempt to ward her off, and try to get through to her.)  
Cyclops – “Jean! Stop! Listen to me!”  
Wolverine – “Damn it…what the hell is wrong with her? Where did all of this power come from?” (thinks to himself, “it can’t be the Phoenix again could it?”)  
Cyclops – “I don’t know!”  
Wolverine – “She’s your girlfriend, isn’t she? I thought you had been prepared with her for stuff like this!”  
Cyclops – “I didn’t expect anything like this!”  
Kitty – “Less talking, more fighting!” (Kitty gets knocked aside by Phoenix before continuing)  
Storm – “My lightning can’t even break through! Isn’t there any way to stop her?”  
Jean – (screams as her powers manifest into the full Phoenix, and takes off in an explosive beam of fire, searing the ground around her and charring it black, while the X-Men are left looking on momentarily, but before they could even agree on where she was going, they were already preparing to go after her.)  
Cyclops – “It looks like she might be heading in the direction…of the Pentagon.”  
\--  
The X-Men go after her to restrain her:  
Cyclops – “We can’t stop her!”  
Storm – “She’ll kill all of us!”  
Colossus – “Even my strength isn’t enough to subdue her…”  
Beast – “We can’t just give up; if we don’t stop her, who will?”  
Iceman – “I’m not liking this at all.”  
Rogue – “Wait a minute…who’s that…?”  
(Emma appears, and using her powers, is able to stop Jean in front of the astonished X-Men)  
Emma – “Hey there.”  
\--  
Emma goes on to persuade the X-Men that the Phoenix is dangerous:  
Emma – “This woman, Phoenix, she’s dangerous, don’t you understand? You’ve all seen it yourselves! You’ve tried fighting her, and look what happened, you weren’t able to do anything. I don’t doubt the X-Men’s power, but Phoenix is too dangerous for mutants without psychic powers to be able to withstand.”  
Colossus – “Why does it sound like you know so much?”  
Emma – “That might be true, but it’s obvious; Jean Gray is corrupt.”  
Kitty – “What?”  
Rogue – “Come on now…that can’t be…can it?”  
Emma – “Look, it’s quite simple to understand. I was able to get here in time to stop her now, but who knows how much more her powers might grow, or if I can even subdue her again next time.”  
Kitty – “There might be a next time?”  
Emma – “Undoubtedly.”  
Storm – “How do you know so much about all of this?”  
Emma – “I’m a mutant looking to help save the world, just like all of you. I want to use my powers for good, so I was able to sense her presence with my powers. I’m not looking to make trouble, I only came here to help and offer my services. You believe me, don’t you, Cyclops?”  
(Emma uses her powers to seduce him, unbeknownst to the rest of the X-Men)  
Cyclops – “Ye…yes, yes, of course…”  
Emma – “I know this is out of the blue, but I’m really just someone looking to make a difference. I never got the chance to go to Xavier’s school, but I hope I might still have a chance. I would like to request being taken in as a member of the X-Men, if that’s alright with you all.”  
Storm – “What do you think you’re saying? Who do you think you are?”  
Kitty – “What the hell? Join the X-Men?”  
Cyclops – “…She might be suited for it.”  
Storm – “Cyclops!”  
Cyclops – “I mean, look, let’s head back to the mansion and have her meet the Professor. He’ll be able to decide her worth. For now, though, we should be glad that Phoenix isn’t trying to blow any of us to smithereens anymore.”

\--  
The X-Men take Emma and Jean back to their mansion:  
Xavier – “So you’re the one that Cyclops told me managed to stop Phoenix. Thank you very much for your help.”  
Emma – “It was my pleasure, sir. I really respect you and your team for all of the work you’ve done for the people of this world, and the good press you’ve made for mutants like myself. You can call me Emma Frost.”  
Xavier – “Well, Ms. Frost, I appreciate what you have done. However, we the X-Men are now in a situation we never thought we would have been in before. I’m not entirely sure what should be done with you.”  
Emma – “Don’t worry, sir, there isn’t anything you need to worry about with me. Your student Jean Grey, on the other hand, needs to be properly locked away, before she can cause more harm. You can lock her away underneath the mansion!”  
Xavier – “I’m not sure about that.”  
Storm – “Neither am I!”  
Cyclops – “Professor, I don’t mean to ever speak up against your opinion, but Emma might have a point. We don’t know how long Jean will stay under control. We need to take all of the precautions that we can before another event like this occurs.”  
Xavier – “Hmm…”  
Cyclops – “She seems to know what she’s talking about, and she’s proven herself relatively trustworthy and dependable in handling Phoenix. We can trust her.”  
Storm – “Scott, what are you saying?”  
Xavier – “…Very well, Scott, if you believe Emma is in the right, then we shall detain Jean underground.”  
\--  
Storm smells something fishy and tells Kitty to keep a close eye on Emma when Xavier agrees for her to be a prospective X-Man:  
Xavier – “You’ve proven yourself a very valuable ally in this situation, Emma Frost. If you would so like, I would not mind making you a prospective X-Man. Of course, there are still a few evaluations that must be taken, but with what you have done for us, I am sure that you will pass with flying colors.”  
Emma – “Thank you for the honor, sir.”  
Storm – “That woman…! Kitty!”  
Kitty – “Eh?”  
Storm - “I don’t wish to make demands, but I think you should keep an eye on her.”  
Kitty – “What? Me? Why?”  
Storm – “You know I would never lie to you, and I trust you more than most,”  
Kitty – “Well, of course, I knew that!”  
Storm – “Then please, just for the sake of my hopefully-baseless concerns, make sure that she does not worm her way into the X-Men so easily. Keep an eye on her, and tell me the moment you find out something suspicious. We won’t let her get away with whatever she’s planning.”  
Kitty – “I’ll do what I can, Storm. To be honest, I never liked her from the start.”  
Storm – “Be wary of her psychic powers. To be able to stop Phoenix like she did, she must be quite powerful,”  
Kitty – “Gotcha!”  
\--  
Kitty gives Emma unkind words about her stay at the mansion. Even Logan warns her that he better not see any funny business from her:  
Kitty – “You’ve been pretty suspicious from the start, and you still haven’t done anything to really prove we can trust you.”  
Emma – “I have to jump through a lot of hurdles to prove myself to you people, don’t I?”  
Kitty - “We’re not stupid enough to start thinking you’re our buddy when we hardly know you, and the fact that you could stop Jean in the first place obviously means you have some strength behind that plastic-doll face of yours. If anything, aren’t you the dumb one for walking right into the enemy’s base? You’re a telepath, so I thought you had to have a strong brain for that, right?”  
Emma – “Cute kid.”  
Wolverine – “I can’t say I disagree with her entirely. Miss, you better not start any funny business around here, because me? I’m a guy who doesn’t tolerate funny business.”  
Emma – “Cute scruffy, middle-aged man too.”  
Wolverine – “Hmph.”  
\--  
Emma secretly goes to meet Magneto to make a deal with him:  
Emma – “Magneto.”  
Magneto – “Emma Frost.”  
Emma – “The reason I asked you here is to make a deal with you, if you’re willing to lend an ear,”  
Magneto – “It all depends on what I have to do, and what I’m being offered in return. You should know that.”  
Emma – “It’s really quite simple; we need your help in eliminating the X-Men and controlling the powers of the Phoenix.”  
Magneto – “Those are both lofty goals that are you are interested in achieving.”  
Emma – “It’s really quite simple; you want to destroy the X-Men too, don’t you? Xavier is your enemy, and so is everyone who studies under him.”  
Magneto – “That is true, I will not deny that. But how does this tie into involving me with you?”  
Emma – “Not just me, actually, but the Hellfire Club, my little organization. We want full control of the Phoenix. Her powers are amazing, powerful enough to destroy all of the mutants that may dare to stand in the way of the Hellfire Club. We would, in turn, not only assist you with eliminating those pesky X-Men, but you will get your share of capital rule of the world, once we have the nations groveling under our collective boots. How does that sound?”  
Magneto – “Quite a blunt announcement, it doesn’t sound like there’s a catch,”  
Emma – “Because there isn’t, my dear Magneto!”  
Magneto – “How do I know for sure you will hold up your end of the bargain?”  
Emma – “Because, would someone like me ever lie to someone like you?”  
Magneto – “…”  
Emma – “Okay, bad retort, I know. But trust me, us mutants, particularly mutants with a vendetta against the X-Men, need to stick together, and Phoenix is the only way either of us will get what we want, right?”  
Magneto – “Ha ha! I suppose that is true. Then naturally, Emma Frost, I will gladly accept your offer,”  
\---  
Logan follows Emma and eavesdrops on the whole thing:  
Emma – “So do you like your split of the pot?”  
Magneto – “I certainly can’t argue against it. I’ll be very glad to take on your offer, my dear Miss Frost.”  
Emma – “Just stick with Emma.”  
Magneto – “Of course.”  
Logan (thinking) – “…The hell? I knew that chick was trouble, but damn, Magneto is working with her? I got to get out of here, inform the others…”  
Magneto – “Logan, I didn’t expect you would be tailing Miss Frost as a third party.”  
Logan – “Ghh-! Shit!”  
Emma – “I told you, just call me Emma.”  
Magneto – “I hope you don’t mind spending a little bit more time with us, Wolverine. There’s a lot we should catch up on.”  
Logan – “…I freaking HATE being stuck as the ‘damsel in distress’...”  
Emma – “You better get used to it, scruffy.”  
Magneto – “Too much playful banter for my tastes,”  
\--  
The X-Men notice that Logan has gone missing. Xavier tries using Cerebro to find him:  
Xavier – “Logan has gone missing, that doesn’t bode well. I will look for him through Cerebro.”  
(some time passes while Xavier uses Cerebro and then he returns disappointed that he couldn’t find Logan.)  
Xavier – “Unfortunately I couldn’t find him, what is going on here?”  
(Elsewhere…)  
Magneto – “Here you go. With my helmet, the X-Men will be unable to locate you so easily. I’m only allowing you to borrow it, of course.”  
Logan – “Goddamn mother-”  
Magneto – “No need for foul language.”  
(Back at the mansion)  
Storm – “Damn you!”  
Emma – “Damn me?”  
Storm – “I will go and look for Logan myself, regardless of the Professor’s wishes, if we cannot locate him otherwise. You, however, are the last person I trust, and he disappeared not long after you showed up. If I find you have something to do with any of this, so help me…you shall be in for a world of hurt. Remember that.”  
Emma – “I didn’t do anything!”  
Kitty – “I’ll keep an eye on her, Storm!”  
Storm – “Thank you, Kitty,”  
Emma – “Hmph, this is all so ridiculous! You’re being paranoid!”  
Beast – “Not sure about your vendetta against Emma here, Storm, but let me come too. With my nose, I can smell that guy and his stench from a dozen miles away, trust me. His sweat is strong.”  
Storm – “And thank you as well, Beast! Let us go!”  
Emma – “…These X-Men really are a handful…”  
\--  
Emma bet on an X-Man following her that night to meeting Magneto and now that her and Magneto have captured Wolverine, the trap has been set:  
Emma – “Hmph, I was followed. Just as I predicted.”  
Magneto – “You didn’t attempt to hide your tracks?”  
Emma – “Of course I did, but these X-Men aren’t stupid, as much as I’d like them to be! Two of them were pretty determined to find little Wolvy here, but they didn’t trust me either, so they put two and two together and decided I had something to do with it! I mean, they were right, but why did they have to be that lucky?”  
Magneto – “No point in complaining. I will deal with them. For your plan to continue succeeding, you should depart.”  
Emma – “Right. Well, good luck, and try not to let them beat you, okay?”  
Magneto – “I am the master of magnetism, I do not fall easily!”  
\--  
Storm and Beast manage to find Wolverine taken hostage by Magneto:  
Storm – “…There he is…”  
Beast – “Never thought Logan would let himself get caught like that.”  
Storm – “It’s Magneto; Wolverine has little chance in standing against his powers.”  
Beast – “I know that, but still…he’s probably pissed.”  
Storm – “I’m going to call the X-Men and tell them we’ve found him!”  
Beast – “Aye.”  
(Colossus and Cyclops receive the call and hurry to aid them)  
Cyclops – “First Emma Frost, and now Magneto! I’m not liking any of this, not one bit…and Wolverine even got himself caught. He’s probably pissed.”  
Colossus – “He’ll get over it. To get him back we’ll have to deal with a pair of psychics strong enough to blow our brains up from the inside out…I’m a bit more worried about that than Logan being grumpy.”  
\--  
Meanwhile back at the mansion Mystique has snuck in. Kitty has a heavy-handed conversation with Emma, threatening her:  
Mystique – “Time to get busy.”  
(Meanwhile…)  
Kitty – “You’re not even being subtle about it, are you?”  
Emma – “About what?”  
Kitty – “About being so overtly suspicious that I can’t help but think you’re the one responsible for everything here!”  
Emma – “You’re going to keep badgering me about that until I give you the answer you want, won’t you?”  
Kitty – “I’ll do more than just talk, if you want to go that far.”  
Emma – “Fiesty. What’s your name again?”  
Kitty – “…Kitty.”  
Emma – “Very fitting.”  
Kitty - “You better watch your back!”  
(Goes to Xavier)  
Xavier – “Kitty? What’s wrong?”  
Kitty – “Emma Frost! That’s what’s wrong! Professor, she’s clearly suspicious! She’s probably behind everything! Can’t you use your psychic powers to read her mind? Find out what’s going on with her?”  
Xavier – “I tried once before, when I first met her, but she possesses psychic powers herself, strong enough to be able to shield her mind from my advances. Very impressive, but also very troubling. I am not sure what her agenda is either, and I allowed her to stay here at the mansion to keep an eye on her, because it seemed to me that she had done something to Cyclops. He seemed far too willing to let her join them when they had only just met.”  
Kitty – “So you WERE on ball the whole time! Oh, I’m so relieved!”  
Xavier – “There is someone who can break through her mental powers, though. Someone I believe we may need to rely on soon.”  
Kitty – “Really?”  
Xavier – “Yes. The Daughter of Magneto, the Scarlet Witch.”

\--  
Meanwhile Mystique disguises herself as the professor and sneaks into the cubicle lair where Jean is being held locked up. Mystique successfully gets into the prison and Jean wonders why Xavier comes to see her:  
Jean – “…Professor? What?”  
Mystique – “Hello, Jean,”  
Jean – “What are you doing here?”  
Mystique – “Please give me a moment, Jean,”  
Jean – “Am I able to leave now? Professor, please, I don’t know what happened to me before, but my powers…I’ll…I’ll keep them under control, I swear…please don’t leave me here…”  
Mystique – “I said quiet! Okay, Mastermind, it’s your turn now,”  
Jean – “Professor…”  
\--  
Mastermind proceeds to taking control of Jean’s mind and makes her turn into the Phoenix once again:  
Mastermind – “Jean, my dear, it is time to let loose and awaken to your true self,”  
Jean – “No…no…no! Stop! Please! I beg you!”  
Mastermind – “It won’t hurt at all. Well, maybe a little. All you have to do is…let it all go.”  
Jean – “Aaah-!”  
Mastermind – “Don’t fight it now! It’ll only make things worse! Awaken the Phoenix!”  
Jean – “Gaaah!”  
Mystique – “I think I should take this as my queue to leave!”  
\--  
Xavier and Kitty hear the noise coming from underneath them and quickly go to the main hall. All the students are running around panicked as Phoenix, still in human form, wreaks havoc all around her:  
Kitty – “…What was that?”  
Xavier – “Hurry, To the main hall! I can feel it resonating through my psychic powers.”  
Kitty – “What?”  
Xavier – “Let’s go!”  
Phoenix – “Stand aside!”  
Student 1 – “She’s going to kill us all!”  
Student 2 – “Aah…!”  
Xavier – “Oh no!”  
Kitty – “Isn’t that Jean? But I thought we locked her away! Why is she in Phoenix form again?”  
Xavier – “Jean, stop this right now! Jean!”  
Phoenix - “Raaaaaaah!”  
Kitty – “It doesn’t seem like she’s listening, Professor! Do something!”  
Xavier – “Dammit…”  
Iceman – “Allow us, Professor!”  
Rogue – “C’mon, Jean, just get a hold of yourself already!”  
Phoenix – “Go away!”  
Iceman – “She flew off…! Just like that!”  
Rogue – “I can’t believe this is happening.”  
Emma – “Sorry, Xavier, X-Men, but your precious Jean Grey isn’t coming back anytime soon. The Phoenix is in full control, my full control, and there’s no way you’ll be able to stop her!”  
Xavier – “Stop right there!”  
Emma – “Sorry, but…I’ll take this as my leave.”

\--  
Kitty gives Xavier a “I told you so remark” and then asks him where they can find Wanda Maximoff also known as Scarlett Witch:  
Kitty – “I told you so!”  
Xavier – “I’ll admit, this was a grave error of judgment on my part.”  
Kitty – “What are we going to do now? Where can we find this Scarlet Witch you told me about before? Would she really be able to stop the Phoenix? Her powers must be incredible!”  
Xavier – “Yes, they ARE incredible, and she has far more control over them than Jean does with her Phoenix form. If anything, she is the best hope for Earth, because Logan…”  
Kitty – “Logan?”  
Xavier – “No, never mind. Wanda is someone who will not agree immediately, but she wants what is best for the planet. I still remember where she had been said to be last seen: the Gobi Desert.”  
\--  
Phoenix flies to New York City where she begins her destruction. Xavier calls back to his X-Men to return to the mansion with or without Wolverine as Emma Frost who has released the Phoenix has set them up. 

\--  
Storm with all her might strikes Magneto with a thunderbolt. Magneto tries to shield the thunderbolt with a magnetic forcefield as much as he can but the impact is so strong it knocks him unconscious:  
Storm – “Magneto!”  
Magneto – “Storm.”  
Storm – “Let’s make this easy and just return Logan to us.”  
Magneto – “And why would I do that?”  
Storm – “It would be in your best interest because then I wouldn’t have to roast you to a crisp.”  
Magneto – “That’s a little presumptuous, wouldn’t you say?”  
(Storm unleashes her lighting bolt; Magneto attempts to block it with his forcefield, but Storm manages to put enough power into her attack that it sends Magneto flying back, temporarily incapacitating him. Storm flies down to meet with Logan.)  
Storm – “There you are, princess. Now let’s go back, I have no intention of returning to the mansion without you!”  
Wolverine – “Stuff all the ‘princess’ bull…but thanks.”  
Storm – “What did Magneto want from you? What did he say?”  
Wolverine – “Hmph, not much, he’s a bit more careful about boasting all of his plans to the enemy while they’re captured, which is unfortunate, because I’d sure have liked to known what he was plotting. Either way, things probably aren’t going so well, huh?”  
Storm – “I’d say not.”  
Wolverine – “Then let’s head back. If you guys know where that Emma girl is, well, it’s probably best you don’t let me find her…for her own good.”  
\--  
Back at the mansion Xavier explains to the X-Men what has happened and apologizes to Storm for not having been more wary of her warning sooner. Cyclops also informs the professor that Magneto was behind capturing Wolverine and suspects that him and Emma have been working together. They ask him where the Phoenix has gone now and Xavier tells them he has tracked her down in New York after using Cerebro. Xavier says that this will not be a normal fight for the X-Men as the Phoenix’s power is greater than any other adversary they have ever faced. They cannot win this fight alone, they will need every mutant ally on their side they can muster.  
\--  
Xavier calls on the X-Force team, Bishop, Warpath, Sunspot, and Blink to join the X-Men, including Cyclops, Beast, Wolverine, Storm, Colusses, Iceman, Rogue, and Kitty. He instructs them that they must ward off Phoenix in New York as much as they possibly can to minimize damage and casualties in the city while buying Xavier time to track Wanda Maximoff.:  
Xavier – “Bishop, Warpath, Sunspot, and Blink! I want the X-Force team to combine with the X-Men, so you can put your powers together. This crisis requires the aid of every single mutant available to handle it. It is the only hope we have, and it is still a slim hope at that, but we must pull all our resources. I assume that there are no objections to this?”  
Bishop – “Of course not.”  
Xavier – “Good. We are going to combat Phoenix again, and this time we must attempt to ward her off from New York, to minimize damage and casualties as best as we can. It will not be easy, but do not falter in the face of such powerful opposition.”

Kitty – “Not to put a damper on things, Xavier, but Phoenix is…well, she’s strong. Really, really strong. Like, she’s pretty much invincible to all of our attacks, and we nearly got ourselves killed fighting her last time.”

Xavier – “I only want you to hold her off, I don’t expect you to win.”

Rogue – “Hey now-”

Xavier – “There is one mutant I know who can rip through Jean’s defenses so you can all reach her. This mutant has exiled herself, but I still have knowledge of her location. I am going to go and recruit her to our side. With her hexes, she’s our best chance in stopping Phoenix.”

Storm – “Who is she?”

Xavier – “Wanda Maximoff.”

Wolverine – “Hold on, Professor. I don’t like this. You can’t just go off and do this on your own.”  
Xavier – “Do you have a suggestion for me Logan?”

Wolverine – “Because you’re too important, and if you die…everything you’ve worked for, helping all of us, it’s going to be lost along with you. I don’t know about this Wanda, whoever she is, but I ain’t trusting anyone I haven’t met yet. I’m going to come along with you.”

Xavier – “Logan…”

Wolverine – “Don’t even try to change my mind, with words or with telepathy. I’m still going.”

Xavier – “Very well. Thank you, Logan. The rest of you, X-Men and X-Force, good luck! Protect the city, the people, and your own lives!”

\--  
The X-Men fly over to New York with their X-Jet while the X-Force rendezvous with them on foot to begin fighting off and distracting the Phoenix. Things don’t get any easier however when Frost shows up to avert the X-Men:

Emma – “Hey there, handsome,”

Cyclops – “You!”

Emma – “Yes, me?”

Cyclops – “You…you screwed around with my mind!”

Emma – “I almost got to screw around with your chiseled abs too, but you know how things are, work came first and all,”

Cyclops – “Everything that’s happened to Jean is all your fault!”

Emma – “Whoa there, be careful with those eye beams of yours; you could hurt a girl.”

Kitty – “Allow me to lend a hand, Cyclops!”

Storm – “Jean, you won’t have to worry much longer. I’m going to bring you back to us!”

Phoenix – “Die!”  
\--  
Meanwhile Xavier and Wolverine fly to the Gobi desert with a helicopter and immediately go to where she is located:  
Xavier – “We should be there very soon.”  
Wolverine – “I’m ready. Just hope she’s more willing to talk and less willing to start attacking us when we show up.”  
Xavier – “…You didn’t really need to come, Logan.”  
Wolverine – “And leave you a chance to die? Like hell.”  
Xavier – “I suppose I should be grateful that you’ve decided to be so generous lately.”  
Wolverine – “Gotta put the mission first, right?”  
Xavier – “Hah…true, true. I believe I see it now. Land here, pilot.”  
Wolverine – “This should be fun.”  
Xavier – “You have quite some ideas how to have fun.”  
Wolverine – “Right on Professor!”  
\--  
They approach Wanda and immediately begin doing their best to persuade her to help them:  
Xavier – “Wanda…”  
Wanda – “Charles Xavier, what are you doing here? I didn’t expect I would see you again for the rest of my life, or for the rest of your life at the very least.”  
Xavier – “I’ve come to make a request.”  
Wanda – “Then request denied. No one said I was open for hire right now.”  
Wolverine – “Cheeky, isn’t she?”  
Wanda – “What do you have to ask from me that’s so important that you would dare pull me out of my peaceful little existence again?”  
Xavier – “It concerns aiding the X-Men.”  
Wanda – “I’ve heard of the X-Men and their exploits. I suppose I would commend them for their work, but that still has nothing to do with me in the slightest, Xavier. You have battled against my father Magneto many times, and even though I do not consider myself particularly close to my parent, there is still no reason I should be able to sympathize with you all instead.”  
Xavier – “You don’t quite understand what’s going on here.”  
Wanda – “I think I do.”  
Xavier – “Will you allow me to continue?”  
Wanda – “…Fine. But you can only have one chance to convince me.”  
Xavier – “We need your powers, it’s desperately needed from the current menace to Earth. With three powerful psychics joined together along with a group of mutants with other varying abilities, it’s unfortunate that I must confess the X-Men will not be able to win this war with their own strengths alone.”  
Wanda – “So you just want to use me, eh? A pawn for another war that you let yourself get dragged into? This is why I purposely distanced myself from all of you!”  
Xavier – “Would you rather this entire world be turned into some psychopath’s plaything?”  
Wanda – “As long as they leave me alone.”  
Wolverine – “For crying out loud…”  
Xavier – “Jean Grey, or rather her alter-ego Phoenix in this case, was one of our allies, but she’s recently come under the control of the Hellfire Club, and she’s been running rampant, causing all sorts of trouble. Her powers are a force to be reckoned with, a force that goes beyond what even Magneto is capable of doing, and while Earth itself is in danger of being annihilated because of her powers, that’s only the beginning. Can you imagine that, Wanda?”  
Wanda – “I dare say that I cannot. Nor do I wish to try.”  
Xavier – “I see.”  
Wanda – “You are not convincing me.”  
Wolverine – “Okay, this is starting to wear on my very limited patience, and we aren’t going anywhere without you, girlie, so you better cram it and do what the Professor says! Got it?”  
Wanda – “If you attempt to poke me, or worse, with those pitiful, dirty little claws of yours, hairball, then you will face my wrath. Do you understand THAT?”  
Wolverine – “Is that a dare?”  
Xavier – “Hold back, Wolverine.”  
Wolverine – “What is it?”  
Xavier – “Wanda, I want you to make a psychic link with me.”  
Wanda – “A trap?”  
Xavier – “No, just…an image. To better inform you of the situation, when my words are not strong enough.”  
Wanda – “What are you planning?”  
Xavier – “If this does not convince you, then nothing will. So allow me this one chance.”  
Wanda – “…Very well.”  
(Wanda is presented the psychic images of Phoenix, and she is subsequently horrified)  
Wanda – “Good Lord…”  
Xavier – “Does it help you better grasp the situation at hand?”  
Wanda – “You let something like THAT live despite knowing what it can do?”  
Xavier – “She’s a student of mine, and a member of the X-Men.”  
Wanda – “Bastard.”  
Xavier – “Will you help us, Wanda?”  
Wolverine – “Just say yes; I’m starting to sweat like a hog out here.”  
Wanda – “I suppose, if those images are really true, then I don’t have any other choice, do I?”  
\--  
The three of them fly off to New York to rendezvous with the X-Men and join the battle. Wolverine asks Wanda what her powers are and she explains to him that she can perform hexes that change the probability of events and occurrences to her favor. If she can cast strong enough hexes on the Phoenix she can help the X-Men take her down:  
Wolverine – “So…”  
Wanda – “What is it?”  
Wolverine – “Tell me something, girl.”  
Wanda – “As long as you don’t ever call me ‘girl’ again. My name is Wanda.”  
Wolverine – “…Wanda, then. What exactly are your powers? You’ve already seen my claws which is only half of my abilities.”  
Wanda – “I suppose I can tell you, if we are aiming to be partners in battle. I can use various hexes to change the probability of events and alter occurrences in my favor. That’s the simplest way I could possibly explain it.”  
Wolverine – “Damn…doing it right, you could pretty much be invincible, and have the whole world under your foot.”  
Wanda – “It is not as easy as it sounds, and if I did use my powers as such, to get and take whatever I wanted, wouldn’t that turn me into a ‘villain’?”  
Wolverine – “Hmm, yeah, but still…!”  
Wanda – “In any case, if I can utilize my most powerful hexes, I may be able to weaken Phoenix and help the X-Men in defeating her and restraining her.”  
Wolverine – “We’ll see how this all goes. We’re riding a lot on you, Wanda.”  
\--  
Back in NYC, the X-Men are rigorously battling Emma as she has tired out most of them except for Cyclops who’s been in a berserker rage and Kitty who is equally infuriated. He continues to blast her in diamond form, making dents into her diamond skin. The X-Force have a tough time wrestling with the Phoenix:  
Cyclops – “Damn you!”  
Emma – “Ha ha ha! Sorry, Scott, I didn’t mean to shatter your heart, although I’ll admit how easy it was to sway it, and here I thought you cared about your precious Jean!”  
Cyclops – “Shut up, bitch!”  
Kitty – “Blast her to pieces!”  
Emma – “Again, I’m sorry. There’s no way either of you could break through my diamond skin, even with your flashy lasers.”  
Cyclops – “I’ll keep trying again and again, no matter how long it takes!”  
(During the fight with Phoenix)  
Bishop – “Great…not even my energy attacks are having any effect on her! She practically bounces them off! What the hell, isn’t that kind of like breaking the rules or something?”  
Iceman – “Maybe we need to counteract this fire with a little ice…!” (his attacks fail) “…Or not.”  
Bishop – “Ice against fire, what did you expect?”  
(Back to Emma Frost battle)  
Sunspot – “C’mon! Give me a crack at this!”  
Emma – “My diamond skin is a little thicker than your average crystal, as you’d probably figured out already!”  
Sunspot – “Aw, crap…”  
\--  
Xavier arrives with Wolverine and Scarlett Witch ready to take on the Phoenix:  
Xavier – “The X-Men are still fighting!”  
Wolverine – “Doesn’t look like the battle is in their favor though…”  
Wanda – “I see Phoenix now, but there appears to be another on the opposing side,”  
Xavier – “That’s…Emma Frost!”  
Wolverine – “She doesn’t look too trustworthy now, huh?”  
Xavier – “Scarlet Witch, can you-?”  
Wanda – “I’d rather not, but since I am here, and she may get in the way, I’ll deal with her.”  
Xavier – “Thank you.”  
Wolverine – “I wouldn’t mind taking a swipe at her myself-“  
Xavier – “No, Wolverine, I’m going to need you with me for now.”  
Wanda – “Now, watch as I single-handedly strip away the defenses of this bitch that your entire team could not defeat, Xavier!”  
Emma – “Eh? Wait…what…my diamond skin…! Oh no!”  
Wanda – “You with the eye beam! Shoot her now!”  
Cyclops – “Don’t need to tell me twice!”  
Emma – “Gaaah…!”  
\--  
Scarlett Witch begins performing hexes on the Phoenix:  
Wanda – “You wretched, troublesome bird…!”  
Cyclops – “Don’t kill her! We just want to stun her, get her back to normal!”  
Wanda – “I’ve already been told that by your professor.”  
Cyclops – “Oh…”  
Wanda – “However, I will only follow through with that instruction as long as this feisty chick doesn’t try anything that I might not like, if you all fail to ‘restrain her’ like you’re planning. I don’t have any reason to show her mercy aside for the sake of you people.”  
Cyclops – “…”  
Wanda – “Personally, I think someone with her powers and this much of her mind gone is better off terminated, but I will do my best to subdue her.”  
Cyclops – “…Thanks.”  
\--  
The Phoenix isn’t phased so easily. We’re talking about the bird of the cosmos and her power is pretty much limitless. The hexes do start to strip the Phoenix of her vulnerable points in her body therefore giving the X-Men and X-Force chances to hurt her slightly as Xavier telepathically reads where exactly her weak spots are:  
Phoenix – “You…will not…stop me!”  
Storm – “Jean…you have to stop this…”  
Blink – “Come on, Storm, if you stay here any longer you’re going to get killed!”  
Wanda – “The hexes need to find her vulnerable points! I’ll strip them away and then you can attack her!”  
Xavier – “I’m trying to find them!”  
Wanda – “You better hurry…!”  
Wolverine – “Yeah, she isn’t going to just sit still and let you do it for long,”  
Cyclops – “Where are her weak points?”  
Xavier – “I found it! Between her chest and her wings!”  
Cyclops – “Her chest…?”  
Storm – “Keep your mind on the situation and not your libido for once in your life, Scott!”  
Cyclops – “I am! I am! Yeesh, a man makes one mistake…!”  
Storm – “More like several.”  
Xavier – “Her talons do not seem to be the strongest parts of her body either.”  
Wanda – “I’m doing what I can, but her power…it’s unthinkable!”

Xavier – “Wanda, I need you to do something,”

Wanda – “Again with the requests!”

Xavier – “You need to hit her with one giant hex; unleash all of your power in a single blast! Chipping away at her isn’t going to do it anymore!”

Wanda – “It’s going wipe my energy out! What will that do?”

Xavier – “It’s going to crush her defenses, at least for a few seconds. I’ll be able to send in a psychic attack myself then, and if I’m lucky, I may be able to devolve Phoenix back…and get Jean out of there. But it is a slim chance, yet our only chance. I’m not going to let one of my students go rogue right in front of me, or even worse!”

Wanda – “You are a mad man, Xavier. But I will do my best.”

Xavier – “Listen, all of you! If you can hear me, follow my instructions: regroup and get out of the area! Move as far as you can! There’s no telling what sort of destruction will be caused here! I don’t want any of you to be caught up in it!”  
Cyclops – “What about you, Professor?”  
Xavier – “Don’t worry about me, and don’t worry about yourselves either; just stay prepared to react at the slightest moment. Shadowcat! Create the forcefield!”  
Shadowcat – “Yes, sir!”  
Wanda – “It’s…here!”  
Xavier – “Prepare yourselves! Don’t let the shockwaves throw you off balance! This is the kind of power that psychics can unleash!”  
Wolverine – “…Holy crap…”  
Storm – “The flames, the lightning, the earthquakes...”  
Kitty – “It’s like some kind of apocalypse…!”  
Wolverine – “How can someone do this much with just their mind, anyway?”  
Xavier – “We’re almost there…it’s almost done…”  
\---  
Soon a giant red ball of energy representing the hex forms in front of Scarlet Witch in the air and she sends it to the Phoenix. The hex hits the Phoenix hard and she cries out in a yell:  
Wanda – “Time to put you down, birdy!”  
Phoenix – “Raaaaaaaaaaaahhh…!”  
Xavier – “There it is!” ‘My chance to strike, but with only one chance…I must not fail, or everyone is doomed, not just my students! Most of all, Jean, I’m going to pull you out of there! I’m going to save you!’  
Phoenix – “Waaaaaaaaaaargh!”  
Xavier – “Jean, wake up!”  
Phoenix – “Professor…?”  
Xavier – “Jean…!”  
Wolverine – “The Phoenix is gone!”  
Cyclops – “Jean!”  
Beast – “We got to get her out of there! Come on!”  
Storm – “Hold on…what is that coming down from the sky? In the distance?”  
Rogue – “What in the wild world of sports is that?”  
Xavier – “Cyclops, Wolverine…leave Jean there for now.”  
Wolverine – “What?”  
Cyclops – “Professor, what are you-“  
Xavier – “We…we aren’t finished here yet…”  
Storm – “Professor, do you know what that thing is?”  
Xavier – “Give me a moment…”  
Apocalypse – “Charles Xavier.”  
Xavier – “Apocalypse.”  
Apocalypse – “Good to see you still managed to keep yourself alive after all of this time, so that I may have the enjoyment of crushing you with my own powers.”  
Xavier – “What do you want here, Apocalypse? And what is this threatening presence you seem to be giving off so carelessly?”  
Apocalypse – “I never do anything ‘carelessly’, Xavier. You know that. I am here to collect Phoenix for myself, that is, her incredible power. I have witnessed it for myself, I had felt it resonating from this tiny planet, and it called me here. Her power is a deadly force even compared to the other powers spread across this galaxy, and to pass up owning such strength would be nothing short of foolishness. I had considered testing her by breaking her down under my foot, because her power could only be added to my own, but it seems you and the X-Men took care of that process for me. Thank you for making things easier for me. I am going to complete the final stages of my plan; retrieve Phoenix, wipe out all of you…and take this planet under my control.”  
\--  
The End  
To Be Continued in X-Men: Apocalypse


End file.
